Deconstruction Detroit: A [RE]generation Strategy from HAA on Vimeo.

Last week, over 150 people gathered at Recycle Here! for the most recent installment in the lecturesHAA series. The event brought together representatives from Architectural Salvage Warehouse, C3LL3C, Recycle Here!, University of Detroit Mercy, and Design Evolution Workshop to discuss Deconstruction as an approach to managing Detroit’s many vacant and abandoned buildings. Each panelist began with a brief presentation framing his specific role in and approach to the deconstruction process. The presentations were followed by a panel discussion which both affirmed the position of Deconstruction within Detroit, as well as exposed the challenges facing the industry here and elsewhere.

The conversation ranged from the techniques and tactics involved in dismantling structures, to its economic feasibility and related public policy. The dialogue exposed the negative ecological impact of traditional demolition practices and demonstrated how Deconstruction and recycling techniques offer a sustainable alternative. Yet it also exposed the obstacles facing the Deconstruction industry as it competes with demolition. Because it is a labor intensive process, Deconstruction generally takes longer and is therefore more costly than traditional practices. And so it was with both optimism toward deconstruction’s possibilities and a realistic understanding of its difficulties that the evening unfolded. Though it was clear it will be some time before Deconstruction becomes a mainstream alternative to demolition, the passion and enthusiasm of the panelists and audience alike were testament to a collective belief in the value of this burgeoning industry. (more…)